Russia claims to have captured Novomykhailivka, Ukraine's Armed Forces insist they hold part of the village

Russia’s Ministry of Defence has announced the capture of Novomykhailivka, a village south of Mariinka in Donetsk Oblast, but Ukrainska Pravda disputes this claim, citing Ukrainian Defence Forces who say they retain control of the northern part of the village.

Sources: a report by the Russian Defence Ministry; Ukrainska Pravda sources in the 79th Separate Tavriia Air Assault Brigade deployed on the Novomykhailivka front; data from Ukrainian OSINT researchers DeepState

Details: The Defence Forces most likely still maintain positions at the dachas north of Novomykhailivka, across the Sukhi Yaly River. This is the sole area of the village designated as a "grey zone" on the DeepState map.

According to both Ukrainska Pravda and DeepState, the Russians have now taken over the remainder of the settlement. Novomykhailivka has been completely destroyed and is uninhabitable.

The Russians started their march on Novomykhailivka in autumn of 2023, and by February 2024, the village was the site of fierce fighting. The Ukrainian military, especially the paratroopers of the 79th Brigade, successfully repelled Russian attacks throughout April 2024. The Russians conducted an offensive with both military equipment and infantry, often moving in small assault groups consisting of 6-8 people.

Ukrainska Pravda journalists recently observed from a drone how challenging it was for the paratroopers of the 79th Brigade to maintain their positions in the destroyed village.

Background: Following the capture of Mariinka in January 2024, the Russian army is resuming its offensive on this front, particularly around Mariinka itself. North of Mariinka, the Russians are exerting pressure on the relatively large city of Krasnohorivka, and to the south, on the villages of Paraskoviivka and Kostiantynivka, as well as on Novomykhailivka, which has almost been captured.

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